You have the Right to Reimbursement and Compensation: Swiss Airlines

There are few things as frustrating as hearing that your flight was delayed — or worse, cancelled. A disrupted flight can wreak havoc on your journey and completely ruin your travel plans. You may be left stranded at the airport, missing out on bookings that you have already paid for — such as tours, events, and concerts. Sometimes, you may even miss out on special events at your destination, such as a wedding or an important business meeting.

If your flight was departing from a UK or EU airport, however, you’re in luck. You can claim for Swiss Airlines flight compensation. Though Swiss Airlines is not a European airline, when departing from an UK or EU airport, its flights are covered by either EC 261 or "UK 261" an air passenger rights regulations that protect travellers.

According to the UK air passenger regulation, when your flight is eligible you can get up to £520 in compensation per passenger. This includes for delays of more than 3 hours and cancellations that were announced less than 14 days before departure.

UK 261 is not limited to just Swiss Airlines compensation either. The law also requires airlines to provide essential free food, drink, and lodgings for their passengers while they wait.

Though UK air passenger rights laws are among the world’s most comprehensive air passenger rights regulations, not all disrupted flights are eligible for flight delay compensation from Swiss Airlines.

As mentioned before, only Swiss Airlines flight delays that occur while departing from a UK or EU airport are covered. If your flight departed from a non-UK or non-EU airport, the law does not provide coverage.

Another notable exception is if the flight was disrupted by extraordinary circumstances, which are situations over which the airline has no control. This includes severe weather conditions, medical emergencies, security threats, political unrest, and airport staff strikes.

It is important to note, however, that strikes conducted by airline employees are not considered extraordinary circumstances, as the airline is deemed to be responsible for the actions of their staff.

And when it comes to Swiss Airlines flight cancellation compensation, only significant delays count — if Swiss Airlines manages to provide you with a replacement flight that gets you in at a similar time to your original arrival schedule, they are not obligated to pay.

When claiming for Swiss Airlines cancelled flight compensation, be sure to ask questions at the airport — ask how long your flight is expected to be delayed and the cause behind the delay or cancellation, if it hasn’t already been announced.

You will want to hold onto your documents as well — including your boarding pass and flight confirmation. You can even take photos of the departure board as proof that your flight was delayed.

Be sure to ask for food and refreshments while you wait. And if needed, ask for accommodation and transport to and from the airport until it is time to depart. This is especially important for long waits overnight.

And of course, use AirHelp to check if your flight is covered.

Which Swiss Airlines Flights are Covered by UK 261?

When it comes to determining exactly how much compensation you are owed, the distance travelled is what is important. UK 261 has set specific amounts for how much each passenger can receive, though exceptions and special cases may apply in some circumstances.

Swiss International Air Lines AG is the national airline of Switzerland operating scheduled services in Europe and to North America, South America, Africa and Asia. Its main hub is Zurich Airport, with a focus city operation at Geneva Airport.